Short Essay on the Industrial Disputes Act in India – Industries in India have three primary actors the labour force or workmen, the employers and the Government. Their roles are traditionally well defined.
Workers are the hands and mind that work under the direction of the employer, who invests the capital and whose objectives and vision is the fundamental objective of the establishment concerned.
Government is the outsider that ensures that the work proceeds smoothly and there is no disruption of peace and order. It is also the function of the government to make sure that the rights of those who are on a weaker footing are not violated. However, at the same, it is also to be ensured that all disputes are redressed through peaceful and legally recognized ways.
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The conflict between workers and the employer is called the industrial conflict and the government tries to resolve such conflicts through various provisions under the labour laws.
The Industrial Disputes Act was enacted by the Government of India in 1947. The legislation helps in settling the industrial disputes amicably.
Though there is another method i.e. collective bargaining for settling the disputes in democratic system, the Industrial Disputes Act provides for the machineries like conciliation, mediation and arbitration.
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The National Industrial Tribunal, labour courts, tribunal, labour commission, works committee etc. are helpful in resolving the disputes.
Besides settling employer-workmen dispute the Industrial Disputes Act also seeks to pre-empt industrial tensions and take such measures as to ensure that the energies of the partners in production are not spent in useless battles of no consequence.
It is important that employer and workmen work in harmony because anything that is to the discontent of any of the two creates a situation where the interests of the industry are adversely affected, which, in turn, hinders the economic growth of the nation.